July 12, 2013

Stay Cool AND Lower Your Energy Costs this Summer

Even If you don't yet own a certified Green Built home from Wallmark Homes, you can still drastically reduce your energy consumption and costs while staying cool this summer by following these five simple rules:

Turn off those lights

Everyone knows we're supposed to turn off the light when we leave a room but many of us walk right past the switch without flipping it. The first step to lowering energy costs is becoming aware of how much energy you consume-and waste. When in use,  light bulbs and televisions not only consume energy but they also produce heat, which, in turn causes your A/C to work harder

Be the boss of your thermostat

Programmable thermostats make it so easy to "set it and forget it", allowing you to adjust the temperature according to your schedule. Keep your house warmer than normal when you are away and lower the thermostat setting only when you are at home and need cooling. When you turn on your A/C, avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal as it will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense. Avoid placing television sets and lamps near the thermostat; the thermostat senses heat from these appliances which may cause the A/C unit to run longer than necessary.

Catch a breeze and beat the heat

Even though our summer days can be a little uncomfortable, many of our summer evenings are quite pleasant. Take advantage of the fresh air these cooler evenings provide and give your air conditioning a break by opening your windows at night. Capture the cool air first thing in the morning by shutting the windows and drawing the blinds. There are a wealth of great window coverings that suit any design style that will help keep the heat and light out, and the cool air in. If you still want some natural light, adorn your windows with stylish high tech solar roller shades like these available from Blinds Galore.

Use your ceiling fan properly

A ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 15°C  (4°F) with no reduction in comfort while your air conditioning is in use. Be sure to turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room, as fans are designed to cool people, not rooms, by creating a wind chill effect.

Live Wallmark Green

LEED certified Wallmark homes are not only built with consideration of the environmental impact of the home and the resources used during construction, it adheres to internationally recognized standards to improve home performance in areas such as water efficiency, energy savings, lower emissions, and higher indoor air quality. Living in a Green Built Wallmark home allows you to take advantage of energy efficient technologies and eco-friendly design without compromising on the comfort, design and style you require. To learn how you can turn the dream of owning a beautiful, mindfully constructed energy efficient home into a reality, contact our knowledgeable Wallmark Custom Homes Team today.